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Day-to-day Consistency in Positive Parent-Child Interactions and Youth Well-Being

Melissa A Lippold1, Kelly D Davis2, Katie M Lawson3

  • 1The School of Social Work, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Tate-Turner-Kuralt Building, 325 Pittsboro St CB#3550, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3550, USA.

Journal of Child and Family Studies
|July 25, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Consistent positive parent-child interactions benefit adolescent well-being. Older teens with stable positive interactions experienced fewer depressive and physical health symptoms, highlighting the importance of daily connection.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Adolescent Health
  • Family Studies

Background:

  • Positive parent-child interactions are linked to youth adjustment.
  • Limited understanding exists regarding daily interaction consistency and youth well-being.
  • Research is needed on how day-to-day consistency in positive interactions impacts adolescent outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the link between day-to-day consistency in positive parent-child interactions and youth well-being.
  • To examine this association in relation to depressive symptoms, risky behavior, and physical health.
  • To explore the role of consistency, beyond average levels, in positive parenting.

Main Methods:

  • Employed a daily diary methodology over 8 days.
  • Recruited adolescents (mean age 13.39) with parents in the IT sector.
  • Analyzed data for 129 adolescents, considering gender and age differences.

Main Results:

  • Higher consistency in positive parent-child interactions correlated with fewer depressive symptoms in older adolescents.
  • Greater consistency was also associated with fewer physical health symptoms (e.g., colds, flu) in older adolescents.
  • These findings held true when controlling for average daily levels of positive interactions.

Conclusions:

  • Daily diary methods are valuable for studying parenting consistency.
  • Consistency in positive parent-child interactions appears crucial for older adolescent mental and physical health.
  • Findings suggest potential intervention targets for improving adolescent well-being through consistent positive parenting.

Keywords:
AdolescenceDepressive symptomsParentingParenting consistencyParent–child relationshipsPhysical healthRisky behavior

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